British Pubs Are Running Out of Guinness

British pubs are facing something of a crisis: They cannot get enough Guinness.

The trouble became evident last week, when the Irish beer’s parent company, Diageo, started limiting the number of barrels of Guinness that British pubs and bars can order each week.

“Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness,” Diageo said in a statement. “We have maximized supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”

The black liquid has surged in popularity on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean in the past year. Once seen as an old-timer’s beer, it has recently become a Gen Z darling, thanks to savvy marketing, celebrity endorsements and a viral drinking challenge. Influencers and ordinary drinkers alike have been trying to “split the G,” which means drinking enough in one chug to leave the foam scything the first letter of the branded pint glasses.

But now, many pubs in Britain say they can’t buy the kegs they need during the busy festive period because of Diageo’s allocation limits. As news of the restricted supply has spread, there has been some panic-buying, analysts said, exacerbating the problem.

“It feels like the toilet roll shortages during Covid — the more coverage that comes, the worse the situation gets!” Richard Hall, the managing director of Inn Express, a wholesale drinks supplier, wrote in an email.

Some were skeptical at first. “To be honest, I thought it might have been a PR thing,” said Tommy McGuinness, the manager of The Marquis, a pub in London, of the rumors that taps were running dry. “Turns out, it’s real.”